Former Nyasa Big Bullets coach Elia Kananji, who went to coach rivals Be Forward Wanderers before he was sacked this year, has been officially confirmed as team manager for Bullets and will be doubling as assiatnt coach to Lloyd Nkhwazi.

Hereplaces assistant coach Mabvuto Lungu and team manager Rahim Ishmael who were fired together with goalkeeper trainer Swadick Sanudi.

Kananji has been picked after the players rejected the appointment of James Chilapondwa and Chiku Kanyenda as team manager and assistant team manager respectively.

“I am pleased to be back in the technical panel of this giant club. I will give everything to help Bullets achieve sustained success,” Kananji told Nyasa Times.

The move secures a rapid return to the coaching frontline for Kananji, who was sacked by Wanderers earlier this year. He had joined Wanderers from Bullets.

He has a remarkable record of success, winning league title with Bullets, Carlsberg Cup with both Bullets and Wanderers .

Meanwhile, Bullets chairperson Noel Lipipa has said the club fired Lungu, Sanudi and Ishmael on serious disciplinary issues.

“This issue dates back to a couple of months ago when the current executive committee had just been ushered in.

“There were serious allegations that were levelled against some members of the technical panel, including demanding kickbacks from the players in return for game time, failure to account for deducted allowances, undermining the authority of the head coach [Lloyd Nkhwazi] and negative attitude towards some players

“When I got these reports sometime back, I did not act, instead I engaged the technical panel members individually and asked them to change their conduct. But a meeting which I had with the players yesterday [Wednesday] exposed and confirmed the rot that has been there behind the scenes and we had to act,” Lipipa is quoted as saying in The Nation.

Lipipa said the trio has been relieved of its duties and will be paid a month’s salary each in accordance with their contracts.